Ponting shows concern in possible Shield reduction
By Tom Wald, 3 Jan 2010
- Tagged:
- Australia, Cricket, kfc big bash, Ricky Ponting, Sheffield Shield, Twenty20
Ricky Ponting has expressed his fears over the possible reduction of the Sheffield Shield competition to allow for the expansion of the domestic Twenty20 tournament.
The Australian captain said the Sheffield Shield had played an important role in Australia being the leading cricket nation over the past 15 years.
“I’d hate to see the day where we start playing more Twenty20 cricket at the expense of Sheffield Shield cricket,” he said.
“One thing I think we’ve had over other nations for the last 15 years is the great strength of our domestic cricket.
“If you start taking those Sheffield Shield games away then before you know it … you just don’t want to tinker with things that are working so well.”
His comments come as Cricket Australia weigh up increasing the size of the Big Bash competition for the 2011/12 season following its increase in popularity this season.
This summer’s domestic Twenty20 tournament has been aided by the appearances of overseas stars such as Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi and Dwayne Bravo.
CA is considering plans for the 2011/12 season to increase the number of Twenty20 games from 17 to 31 and that could potentially cut the Shield competition from 10 rounds back to eight.
Ponting thought it would be hard to find space in the summer for Australia’s international stars to have much of an involvement in any enhanced Twenty20 tournament.
“It’s a competition that we’ve all enjoyed playing in the past and I’m sure the current Australian players would like to play a bit more over the coming years,” he said.
“With the way international cricket is at the moment it’s going to be exceptionally hard to find a window to get even four or five international teams completely free.”
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The Crowd Says (3) | Page 1 of Comments
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- Australia, Cricket, kfc big bash, Ricky Ponting, Sheffield Shield, Twenty20
January 3rd 2010 @ 12:12pm
Crazy Dave said | January 3rd 2010 @ 12:12pm | Report comment
And so money talks, once again… the popularity of the T20 games may see a reduction in the number of Sheffield Shield Rounds… and yet it is the Sheffield Shield that has put Australia where we are in International Cricket today…. Cricket Australia… if you want to increase the number of T20 matches, reduce the number of ODIs, not the number of Shield Games…. please….
January 4th 2010 @ 6:54am
vinay verma said | January 4th 2010 @ 6:54am | Report comment
Crazy Dave,you are so right. There has to be some sanity. Look what happened to Stanford. There is more money in the game now and players are well paid. You cannot strip the forest of every single tree and then complain when you dont have a forest. Australia’s Sheffield Shield and the junior pathways are the very foundations of our cricket. Administrators should look at the bigger picture. The money from the IPL will dry up in five years when other sports in India are fighting for the same dollar.Ponting is right and we cannot have a dilution of the Shield.
The IPL succeeds only because Australia and to a lesser extent South Africa are providing the finished article. The first picks are those cricketers with an International reputation. Steve Smith and haddin and Khawaja are all products of the Shield structure.The Sheffield Shield may make a loss but it provides the cricketeres that help CA and the IPL make a profit.
January 4th 2010 @ 8:42pm
Malibu77 said | January 4th 2010 @ 8:42pm | Report comment
Can’t believe CA would even entertain this thought – right up there with abolishing the Sheffield Shield and having the Milk Shake cup! Took them years to realise the error in that one.
My complaint with the Shield is the fact that it is drawn out over 6 months. I can’t understand which there isn’t a round each week from late October though November to mid-December and then two/three more rounds in February and the final late Feb/early March. Still 10 games each team (plus final) but compacted and not in mid/late-March when the focus (here in NSW anyway) is on the rugby league and union seasons.
Still plenty of time for 20-20 (in late December and January) and domestic one dayers each week either before or after the Shield game.
And lots of games pre the International season would give State players many opportunities to impress selectors.